Dean's Awards 2026 for Outstanding Academic and Scientific Achievements, and Inspiring Pedagogical Work

Martin Havlásek is one of the most successful graduates of the Bioinformatics programme, which he completed with a summa cum laude distinction and a grade point average (GPA) of 1.08. His research focused on the stability, solubility and aggregation of proteins, and he contributed to the development of bioinformatics tools that are useful for designing new drugs. He is continuing his scientific career with doctoral studies centred on developing computational methods for treating Alzheimer’s disease, a project supported by a Brno PhD Talent grant.  

Berenika Chromá earned a degree in mathematics with a specialization in education, graduating summa cum laude. Throughout her studies, she was one of the most active students in her programme. In her master’s thesis, she explored the integration of environmental education into secondary school mathematics instruction. She also made significant contributions to the faculty’s educational and outreach initiatives. In addition, as a member of the Joint Programme Council for Teacher Education, she actively works to enhance study conditions and support the continuous improvement of teacher education programmes. 

Martin Kopecký is among the most promising students in the Biochemistry programme, having completed both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees with outstanding academic performance and a perfect GPA of 1.00. His research focuses on developing highly sensitive methods for the detection of biomarkers associated with cancer and myocardial infarction, with significant potential to enhance clinical diagnostics. As an undergraduate, he had already published his findings in leading international journals and received numerous awards for his presentations at national and international scientific conferences. 

Barbora Pavlíčková is an exceptionally active young zoologist who, even during her bachelor’s and master’s studies, independently conducted research in international teams across Europe and Africa, successfully combining field research, molecular genetic analysis and bioinformatic processing of the acquired data. She published the results of her bachelor’s and master’s theses as first-author articles in prestigious international journals and contributed to other scientific publications. She presented her research at major international conferences in Europe, where it attracted significant interest from the scientific community. 

Tereza Procházková graduated from the Analytical Chemistry master’s programme with honours and a GPA of 1.00. In her master’s thesis, she achieved results with significant application and publication potential. Her work was supported by a Masaryk University grant for outstanding master’s theses and is currently being prepared for publication in a high-impact journal. She actively represented the university at professional conferences, participated in the organisation of international events and completed professional placements in both academic and industrial settings. 

Jaroslav Rohel is a well-rounded student with a strong interest in botany who, during his master’s studies, published several scientific papers in international journals and actively participated in vegetation research in the Czech Republic and abroad. He has represented the university at conferences and research expeditions across Europe and the Caucasus. He also serves as a student senator on the Academic Senate of Masaryk University and has long contributed to the development of student life at the faculty. 

Ema Šipková has long stood out for her exceptional talent and enthusiasm for astronomy, as demonstrated by her graduation with honours from both her bachelor’s and master’s programmes. In her research, she focused on stellar variability and, during her master’s studies, independently organised observations at professional observatories and analysed extensive astronomical data. The result of her work is a first-author paper accepted for publication in the prestigious journal Astronomy & Astrophysics. 

Since his bachelor’s studies, Pavel Špaček has dedicated himself to the development of advanced immunochemical methods using photon upconversion nanoparticles for the detection of tumour biomarkers. His master’s thesis, focused on sensitive single-molecule immunoassays, has significant practical applications. These highly sensitive methods make it possible to quantify even small changes in the concentrations of clinical biomarkers, which can aid in the early detection of cancer and the timely initiation of treatment. The results of his research have been published in an international journal and presented at numerous conferences, where he received awards for the best student presentations. 

Syed Inzimam Ul Haq is a doctoral student in experimental plant biology whose research focuses on plant photosynthetic activity and resilience to stressful conditions. He has published numerous papers on plant stress physiology, sustainable agriculture and the potential for growing plants under conditions simulating the space environment. In his research, he combines modern biophysical methods with applications relevant to the future of agriculture and environmental biology. 

Helge Hecht is an exceptionally independent young scientist who, during his doctoral studies, built an interdisciplinary research community linking bioinformatics, chemistry and environmental sciences. His work has introduced new methods and workflows for analysing data from untargeted mass spectrometry and has significantly contributed to our understanding of the relationships between the environment and human health. He has published his findings in prestigious international journals and actively represented Masaryk University through invited lectures at international conferences and during research internships in Europe and Australia. 

In his doctoral research, Ondřej Helia focuses on the analysis of plants with extensive chromosomal rearrangements and has contributed to a fundamental understanding of the extraordinary resilience of the plant genome. The results of his work, which have been published in prestigious journals such as Science, hold significant potential for the future breeding of crop plants. In addition to his own research, he is actively involved in mentoring students and promoting science. 

During her doctoral studies, Yile Huang was among the most prominent young researchers in the field of plant genome evolution. Her research, which focused on polyploidy and the evolution of plant chromosomes, has provided new insights into the evolution and diploidisation of plant genomes, with significant international impact. The quality of her scientific work is further reflected in offers of prestigious academic and editorial positions from international institutions. 

Aneta Kozeleková is an exceptionally talented PhD student in structural biology whose research focuses on proteins associated with neurodegenerative diseases, with the aim of elucidating the molecular basis of these conditions. In her research, she uses modern biophysical methods, particularly nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. She is the author of several publications, collaborates with a number of academic and industrial partners, and participates in the supervision of junior students. 

Robert Míč focuses on the study of parasitic crustaceans. He has published several papers and presented his research findings at a prestigious international conference in Hiroshima, Japan, where he received an award for the best student presentation. In addition to his research, he has successfully secured funding from grants and foundations and actively participates in international field expeditions. 

Eva Nosková defended her dissertation with a summa cum laude distinction and has become a respected expert on zoonotic parasitic nematodes. In her research, she combined fieldwork, classical parasitology and modern genomic methods, publishing her findings in several journal articles. She has made a significant contribution to understanding the transmission of the parasite Strongyloides stercoralis and to confirming its presence in the Czech Republic. 

During her doctoral studies, Bibiána Pasternáková focused on hydrogeochemistry and the study of thermal waters in the Czech-Austrian border region as part of an international Interreg project. She published the results of her work in prestigious international journals, including Geothermics. Her research is distinguished by its high level of expertise, her ability to synthesise extensive datasets, and her use of modern methods in hydrogeochemistry and isotope geochemistry. 

During her doctoral studies, Daniela Rubanová achieved exceptional results in the development of polymeric nanomedicines for the treatment of inflammatory and rheumatic diseases. She is the author and co-author of numerous publications and has made significant contributions to research projects in collaboration with academic and industrial partners. Her dissertation was awarded the highest distinction of summa cum laude. 

Jan Ševčík's doctoral research focuses on mathematical modeling of neuronal synchronization and dynamic processes in neuroscience. He is the author and co-author of several top publications in international journals. The results of his work significantly contribute to the understanding of the mechanisms of synchronization of neuronal networks and form the basis of his excellent dissertation. 

Lukáš Veselý is one of the exceptionally talented doctoral students in the Chemistry programme. His research focuses on the chemical processes that occur during freezing and freeze-drying, which are of fundamental importance for pharmaceutical research and the study of natural systems under extreme conditions. He is a co-author of numerous international publications, actively presents his findings at international conferences, and participates in major research projects and collaborations with industry partners.  

David Benk Vysloužil's research focuses on the molecular mechanisms underlying the functions of specialised organelles – primary cilia on the cell surface – and has made significant contributions to understanding the role of TTBK2 kinase in cellular processes. He has published the results of his work in several journal articles, regularly presents at international conferences, and is actively involved in mentoring younger students and teaching. 

For more than two decades, Professor Michal Horsák has been one of the most prominent educators at Masaryk University's Faculty of Science. Students appreciate his exceptionally clear and inspiring teaching, his ability to integrate cutting-edge research with classroom practice, and his long-term support of young scientists, many of whom have gone on to receive significant academic awards. He actively innovates his teaching through modern digital materials and interactive tools and plays a significant role in promoting biology to students and the general public alike. Beyond his teaching and research, he is a respected mentor who contributes meaningfully to the life of the faculty's academic community. 

Professor Jana Šmardová was a prominent figure in Czech molecular biology and a long-standing educator at Masaryk University's Faculty of Science. In her research, she focused on the molecular mechanisms of tumour formation and was exceptionally skilled at communicating the results of her work to both students and the general public. She made a significant contribution to the teaching of tumour biology at the faculty, contributed to the development of university textbooks, and for many years promoted genetics and molecular biology through lectures and her book What Tumours Teach Us: Parallels in the Behaviour of Cells and Humans. For many students and colleagues, she remains an inspirational figure who combined cutting-edge science with a deeply human approach and a passion for knowledge.